The Maldives joined a digital business event held virtually in place of the annual ITB Berlin fair, a leading exhibition that brings together the global travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
The ITB Berlin Digital Business Day 2022 on 17 March “proved to be a fruitful day of lucrative interactions between professionals and partners in the global travel and tourism trade through ITB’s digital platform consisting of a user-friendly portal,” according to the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation.
The personalised platform allowed participants to network, manage appointments and seek new business connections through B2B meetings and scheduled audio-video meetings. Participants also took part in two one-hour Speed Networking sessions, during which they were automatically assigned meeting partners based on their profile.
The MMPRC used the opportunity to promote unique experiences on offer at the Maldives and maintain destination momentum to increase tourist arrivals from Germany and other top markets. “Through this event, we were able to provide the latest travel guidelines, information about the unique geographical formation of the Maldives’ scattered islands, and the stringent safety measures in place in our resorts, guesthouses, liveaboards and hotels,” the MMPRC explained.
Traditionally a top source market for the Maldives, German tourists accounted for 7.2% of arrivals in 2021 with 94,784 visitors. As German borders remain open, more than 28,000 holidaymakers have visited as of 16 March, representing a market share of 8% as the fourth top market this year.
The MMPRC’s recent events for the German market included joint marketing campaigns with Let’s Go Tours, Travel Impressions (American Express), Condor, and TUI Germany & Austria and the FVW e-learning programme for travel trade professionals as well as campaigns with Bentley Club Magazine, Imagine Magazine, and Manta Reisen. Campaigns with FTI, TUI Germany, and Connoisseur Circle are presently ongoing with media familiarisation trips, social media and digital advertising campaigns, and participation in important events such as IMEX Frankfurt in the pipeline for this year.
The MMPRC also took part in the Brussels Holiday Fair 2022 from 24 to 27 March with four industry partners. The leading national tourism fair in Belgium involved over 350 exhibitors and 800 sub-exhibitors. The MMPRC conducted meetings with key members of the Belgian travel trade community and promoted resorts, guesthouses and live-aboard vessels as well as uniquely Maldivian experiences such as underwater restaurants, emphasising the natural isolation and social distancing offered by the country’s geography of scattered islands.
